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Are you frustrated with your website? Does it seem like your small business is not getting the digital marketing results you hoped for? You're not alone.
Many small businesses in the Charleston Lowcountry feel stuck regarding their website design and online presence. But the good news is, there are things you can do to change that, like web design services for small business! In this blog post, we'll explore some of the most common mistakes small businesses make with their website and how to correct them.
So read on - your business could benefit greatly from making these simple changes!
Your Web Design Is Outdated and Looks Unprofessional
Small business web design has come a long way in recent years, and it's important to keep up with the latest trends.
An unprofessional website can make customers think your business is also unprofessional. This can lead to missed opportunities and lost revenue. If your website looks like it was made in the 2010s, customers will likely believe your business and services are also outdated. They'll go to a competitor with a more modern and compelling website instead.
An outdated website can also hurt your search engine ranking. Certain elements once common on websites are now penalized by Google. Some examples of outdated methods are:
-All Flash websites
-Keyword stuffing
-Websites with music playing automatically
-Pop-ups
If you're using any of these techniques, your website will appear lower in search results, making it harder for customers to find you. You could be losing out on a lot of potential business.
Fortunately, it's not hard to give your website a fresh, modern look. If you're not sure where to start, contact a Charleston web design company. They can help you create a website that looks great and is easy to use. Customers will be more likely to stay on your site, and you'll be more likely to get new business.
Don't let an outdated website hurt your business any longer. Make a change today and see the difference it makes.
Your Web Design Isn't Mobile-Friendly
A majority of internet users now access the internet through devices such as smartphones and tablets. In fact, as of August 2022, 53.74 percent of the total web visits are currently mobile, compared to 46.26 percent coming from desktops. In fact, mobile devices now account for nearly
2 of every 3 minutes spent online. These trends are only going to continue to grow, so it's important to make sure your website is designed appropriately.
Here are just a few benefits of being mobile-friendly first:
Improved search engine ranking
Another benefit of having a mobile-friendly site is that it can help to improve your search engine ranking. Google has stated that they give preference to these websites when determining search results. This means that if your site is not mobile-friendly, you could be missing out on valuable search traffic.
Enhanced user experience
A mobile-friendly site can also provide an enhanced user experience for your visitors. Mobile devices have smaller screens and slower processors than desktop computers, which can make browsing the web on a mobile device more difficult. A mobile-friendly site takes these factors into account and provides an optimized experience for mobile users.
Reach more customers on the go
Attention spans are shorter than ever, and people are constantly on the go. Mobile-friendly websites make it easy for busy consumers to find the information they need quickly and easily without having to zoom in or scroll sideways. This means that you have a better chance of reaching your target audience and generating leads and sales.
There are a few things you can do to make sure your website is mobile-friendly. First, check to see if it's responsive, which automatically adjusts to fit different screen sizes. If it's not responsive, you'll need to redesign it using a mobile-first approach. You can also use AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) to speed up the loading time of your web pages on mobile devices.
Making your site mobile-friendly is an essential digital strategy if you want to stay ahead of the competition and attract more customers. Invest in a good small business web design service in Charleston that can help you create a responsive, fast, and user-friendly website.
Your Web Design Is Difficult To Navigate, and Users Get Lost Easily
Small business sites can often be difficult to navigate, and users often get lost. This can lead to a loss of potential customers and revenue. Poor web design user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) can be blamed.
When potential customers visit your small business website, you want the UI UX to be as user-friendly as possible. People should be able to find what they need and take the desired action quickly. However, if your website is difficult to navigate, they will likely get frustrated and leave without taking any action. This can cost you valuable leads and sales.
Online users have little patience, so it's important that small business sites are designed with both UI and UX in mind. A well-designed website will help keep users on your site longer, leading to more conversions and revenue.
There are many factors that can contribute to poor online UI UX, such as complex navigation, small font size, and crowded pages. You can improve your small business website by making it easier to use and more visually appealing. This will make it more likely that users will stay on your site and take the desired action, whether making a purchase or signing up for your email list.
Small company websites may be made more user-friendly and attractive through a local digital marketing agency in Charleston, SC, that provides web design services for small businesses and can provide design development services to make it easy for users to navigate your site and find what they’re looking for.
They can also help with other aspects of digital marketing, such as search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Make navigation a priority for your small business site, which will pay off in the form of increased leads, sales, and revenue.
Your Web Design Is Cluttered and Has Too Much Information On It
You could have the most beautiful website that functions like a dream, but if it’s crammed full of useless information, people will leave quickly. That’s why small businesses must focus on having a lean website design. In a recent survey, 84.6% of web designers believe crowded web design is the most common mistake small businesses make.
Every element of your website design should have a purpose. If it doesn’t serve a purpose or help your users somehow, get rid of it.
Three elements that are unnecessary on a small business website are:
A long homepage slider with too many images and/or too much text
A sidebar filled with links and widgets
A footer with dozens of links
All three of these elements can be replaced with something more user-friendly and less cluttered.
For example, instead of a homepage slider, you could have a single image with a brief tagline. Or, instead of a sidebar, you could have a simple menu bar. As for the footer, you could reduce the number of links or get rid of it altogether.
The other problem with having too much information on your website is that it can be overwhelming for users. When users feel overwhelmed, they will likely leave your site and find one that is simpler and easier to use.
So, how do you know if you have too much information in your small business website design? A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself if each piece of information on your website is absolutely necessary. If it’s not, get rid of it.
If you’re not sure whether or not your small business website has too much information on it, ask a web design professional for their opinion. Brand U Media is a web design company in Charleston that has experience in creating lean websites that function well and provide users with the information they need without being overwhelming.
You're Not Regularly Updating Your Website's Content
Creating and regularly updating company website content is crucial for small businesses in Charleston that want to succeed in the digital age. A well-designed website is only part of the equation—you also need engaging, relevant content to attract and retain visitors.
Ask yourself - when was the last time you spent more than a few seconds on an outdated website? Probably never. You can bet your potential customers feel the same way.
To avoid this, it’s important to update your website’s content regularly. This doesn’t mean you need to overhaul your entire site every month but simply adding fresh, relevant content regularly will do wonders for your small business.
Here are five benefits of updating your website content regularly:
Keeps Your Brand Relevant
If you want your business to stay relevant, you need to keep your website up-to-date. Regularly updated content shows that you're keeping up with the latest industry trends and that you're invested in providing accurate information to your audience.
Improves SEO
One of the main reasons to update your website content is for SEO purposes. Search engines like Google crawl websites and index new content. When you add fresh content to your site, it gives search engines something new to index, which can improve your ranking in search results.
Builds Trust With Visitors
Another benefit of updating your website content is that it helps build trust with visitors. If visitors see that you're regularly publishing new content, they'll be more likely to trust your brand and come back for more information in the future.
Drives Traffic From Social Media
If you share your website's content on social media, you can drive traffic back to your site. But, if that content is outdated, it could discourage people from clicking through to your site. Regularly updated content will keep people coming back for more, which can help increase traffic to your website over time.
Helps You Stay Ahead of the Competition
If you want to stay ahead of your competition, you need to make sure your website content is up-to-date. If your competitors are regularly updating their content and you're not, it's likely that they'll appear higher in search results and get more website visitors than you.
By regularly updating your website content, you can improve your SEO, build trust with visitors, and keep your brand relevant. These are just a few of the benefits of updating your website content regularly.
If you need help creating or updating your website’s content, Brand U Media can assist you with your small business web design and website design needs in Charleston.
Your Website Is Not Designed With Conversions In Mind
Let's face it; you're in business to make money. So why would you design your company website without conversions in mind? It's not enough to simply have a nice-looking site. Your website development needs to be designed with your focused business goals at the center.
Three ways to generate conversion opportunities on your website.
Place calls to action throughout your website
Your website should have clear and concise calls to action (CTAs) that prompt your visitors to take specific actions, such as making a purchase, subscribing to your newsletter, or downloading a white paper. CTAs should be easy to find and visually appealing so they stand out from the rest of the content on your page.
Use landing pages
Landing pages are standalone pages that are specifically designed to elicit the desired response from your web visitors, such as making a purchase or signing up for a free trial. Landing pages are often used in conjunction with CTAs and are an effective way to increase conversions on your website.
Make it easy for visitors to contact you
If you want your website visitors to take action, you need to make it easy for them to contact you. Provide prominently placed contact forms and telephone numbers on every website page, and make sure your contact information is up-to-date and accurate.
What are some of your business goals? To increase sales? To generate leads? To build brand awareness? Whatever your company goals may be, your site should be designed to help you achieve them. A cohesive marketing strategy with web conversions in mind can help turn your small business site into a lead and sales-generating machine.
Don't let your small business suffer because of a poorly designed website that's not set up to convert. If you're unsure how to design your website for conversions, that's where a Charleston digital marketing agency comes in. Brand U Media specializes in small business web design and can help ensure that your website is designed with your business goals in mind.
You're Not Using SEO Techniques To Make Your Website Easier To Find Online
If a Charleston small business is online, but no one can find it on Google, does it really exist?
Not using proper search engine optimization (SEO) techniques can make it harder for potential customers to find your business online—no matter how great your web design is.
Impressive numbers that every small business owner should be aware of.
Why is this the case?
There are several reasons why organic results are more popular than paid ads. The first is that organic results are more trustworthy. Google’s algorithms are designed to surface the most relevant and authoritative results for a given query, which users have come to trust.
Paid ads, on the other hand, are often viewed as being less trustworthy because they are, well, paid for. This doesn’t mean that paid ads don’t work—they can be an effective part of your digital marketing strategy—but you shouldn’t rely on them exclusively.
The second reason organic results are more popular than paid ads is that they take up more real estate on the search engine results page (SERP). Paid ads are usually confined to a smaller section at the top or bottom of the SERP, while organic results take up most of the page.
This means users are likelier to see and click on an organic result than a paid ad. And since organic results are more trusted and take up more space on the SERP, they tend to get more clicks overall.
All of this means that if you want your website to be seen by as many people as possible, it’s important to focus on earning high organic rankings in Google searches. But do you have the time or someone qualified to do SEO for your business?
Many factors are involved in SEO, from the words on your website to how other sites link to you. It can be complex and time-consuming, but it’s worth it to invest in SEO for your small business website.
If you don’t have the time or expertise to do it yourself, consider working with a web designer or digital marketing service specializing in SEO. Brand U Media can help you adjust your website and content to show up higher in search engine results pages—and get more customers through your door.
You're Not Tracking Your Website's Analytics
"If you can't measure it, you can't manage it." This quote is especially true when it comes to your website and digital marketing strategy. How will you know what needs to be changed or improved on your website if you're not tracking your analytics?
Many companies make the mistake of thinking that their website is fine just the way it is. They don't realize that users' needs and wants are constantly changing and that their website needs to change with them. If you're not tracking your analytics, you could be missing out on vital information about how users are interacting with your site.
Not only does this information help you improve your website, but it also helps you make better decisions about your overall digital marketing strategy. For example, if you see that users are dropping off your site after they reach a certain page, you might want to rethink your call-to-action or navigation.
If you're not tracking your web analytics, you're essentially flying blind. Don't let this happen to your Lowcountry company. Working with Brand U Media, a web design agency in Charleston, can help you track your analytics and make the necessary changes to improve your website and digital marketing strategy.
Conclusion
Your website is the face of your business. It should tell your customers that you're the best at what you do and why they should pick you over everyone else. If it's not doing that, then it's time for a change.
At my Charleston digital marketing consultancy, I offer free 30-minute consultations to help local businesses figure out what their next steps should be. Fill out my contact form or call me at 843-284-6650, and let's get started on making sure your website is helping - not hurting - your business.
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